Carl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist, influential thinker and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is often considered the first modern psychologist to state that the human psyche is "by nature religious" and to explore it in depth. He was a pioneer in dream analysis. He described himself as a natural scientist, rather than a theoretical psychologist. He was a practicing clinician, but also spent much time exploring Eastern and Western philosophy, alchemy, astrology and sociology. Many pioneering psychological concepts were originally proposed by Jung, including the Archetype, the Collective Unconscious, the Complex, and synchronicity.

In October 1925, Jung embarked on his most ambitious expedition, the "Bugishu Psychological Expedition" to East Africa. His group traveled through Kenya and Uganda to the slopes of Mount Elgon where Jung hoped to increase his understanding of "primitive psychology" through conversations with the culturally isolated residents of that area. His conversations were however highly limited as a result of language barriers.